Decorative lamp

ABSTRACT

A decorative lamp suitable for a child&#39;&#39;s room is formed of two similar hemispheres detachably secured together with each having mounting apertures for receiving decorative shapes thereon such as generally spherical or balloon-shaped, and being formed of translucent material such that they will glow and give a pleasing effect when receiving light from a central source.

United States Patent [191 Holtvoigt July 3, 1973 1 1 DECORATIVE LAMP [75 1 Inventor: John H. Holtvoigt, Tipp City. Ohio [73] Assignee: The Dolly Toy C0., Tipp City. Ohio [22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. N0.: 173,470

[52] US. Cl. 240/10 R, 240/81 R [51] Int. Cl. F215 13/12 [58] Field of Search 240/10 A, 10 F, 10 R,

240/10 P, 4, 2 LF,108 R, 81 R; 46/15 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1947 Mayes 240/10 R 12/1957 Plubell 7/1956 Zutler 240/108 R 1,150,391 8/1915 Sanford 240/10 R 2,387,857 10/1945 Ross 240/108 R 1,687,452 10/1928 Horton 240/10 P 2,558,600 6/1951 Wilson 240/10 F 1,903,330 4/1933 Young et a1. 240/10 R Primary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser Assistant Examiner-Daniel M. Yasich Attorney-Lawrence B. Biebel, Nathaniel R. French etal,

[57] ABSTRACT A decorative lamp suitable for a child's room is formed of two similar hemispheres detachably secured together with each having mounting apertures for receiving decorative shapes thereon such as generally spherical or balloon-shaped, and being formed of translucent material such that they will glow and give a pleasing effect when receiving light from a central source.

4 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Patented July 3, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-i IN l/E/V TOR JOHN H. HOLTVOIGT W MW ATTOR/VE Y5 Patented July 3, 1973 2 Sheets-Silesia 2 DECORATIVE LAMP SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A decorative lighting fixture is provided having a central support such as a globe in which a light bulb is located including a tubular neck serving to mount the fixture on a conventional socket for supporting the same in upright position. The support is made in two parts, preferably each hemispherical and of plastic material. This Support has a plurality of apertures on its surface with the tubular neck in the position of one aperture and the others. adapted to receive the necks of a plurality of translucent shapes such as balloons or spheres of different color so that the light from the center bulb is received by each shape creating a decorative and interesting effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an overall view of the lighting fixture of the invention supported from an suitable base or standard.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the construction of the entire lamp.

FIG. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in plan through the center of the lamp.

FIG. 4 is a view through the globe itself on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and 7 FIG, 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of FIG. 4 showing the way in which the two hemispheres are separable from each other.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified lamp construction; 1

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through one of the lower decorative shapes shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a view from the interior of the upper supporting member looking upward to show the presence of a heat shield under the uppermost shape.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the heat shield itself; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view from above supporting member showing the heat shield locked in operative position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The lamp fixture is mounted upon a suitable support 10 on which is received a conventional lamp socket 11 containing the usual on and off switch 12. The lower support is made in two parts, each hemispherical. The lower support is shown at 15 with a series of symmetrically spaced apertures 16 therein. However the lowermost aperture of this hemisphere is replaced by a downwardly extending integrally moulded neck 17 with slots 18 at its lower edge and of a size to be received in supporting relation on socket l 1 with one of the slots 18 being received over switch 12.

The upper hemisphere 20 of the supporting-member is similar in shape to the lower except that it has'an aperture 21 at its upper portion which is the same size and shape as other apertures 16 and similarly located symmetrically. The walls of all the apertures are notched out as shown at 22 in order to provide some flexibility therein to allow the decorative shapes to be inserted and removed. The upper hemisphere 20 is made with a peripheral flange 24 mating with peripheral flange 25 in the lower hemisphere 15 thereby providing for ready separation of the two hemispheres when access to the lamp bulb 26 is desired, for example, when it needs to be replaced, the lamp being merely unscrewed from socket 11. The arrangement is thus in the general form of a dodecahedron with eleven symmetrically located apertures and one downwardly extending neck providing the support.

Decorative shapes 30 preferably of plastic and differently colored are provided, each having an enlargement 31 and a narrower neck 32 with a flattened surface 33 merging into the main body of the shape which preferably is spherical. The purpose of the projection 31 and the neck 32 is to allow the shapes to be pressed into the several apertures 16 and 21, there being enough yieldability to allow each such shape to be pressed into assembled position and to lock itself in place.

It will be further noted that the majority of the shapes have a continuous wall across their'inner projecting face 31 which provides for picking up light from the bulb and transmitting it more or less uniformly throughout the entire body of the shape, thereby giving a pleasing effect. However the topmost shape 30a is preferably open at its inner projecting face and is provided with a series of small apertures 36, thereby facilitating dissipation of the heat from the lamp bulb.

The supporting member and the shapes themselves are preferably made of plastic material, hemispheres 15 and 20 being made of a plastic such as heat stabilized Nylon or polypropylene and the shapes being made of a material such as heat stabilized translucent polypropylene. Thus they are relatively stiff whereas the hemispheres are more flexible to facilitate assembly and disassembly as described above.

FIG. 6 shows a modification in which a base 40 serves as a mount for a caricature figure of a clown or a balloon-seller 41. At least the lower group of shapes 30b are not spherical but have elongated portions 42 terminating in downwardly extending necks 43 which flare outwardly at the ends 44, thus simulating actual balloon appearance. Elastic strings 45 are tied around each neck and to a groove 46 in the arm of FIG. 41 thus giving the appearance of a figure holding the entire group of balloons stringing upwards.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show a heat shield means 50 of fire and heat resistant material having a center opening 51 to allow heat from the lamp to rise into the uppermost shape. It has notchedout tabs 52 around its periphery so that it will fit and be retained in place around the arms 53 of the upper support 20.

What is claimed is:

l. A decorative lamp comprising a base, a lamp socket on said base, a generally spherical plastic supporting member formed of two readily separable hemispherical sections one of which is supported from said base, each of said sections having a series of apertures around its periphery, one of said apertures having a depending neck portion for receiving the lamp socket to be supported thereby, and a plurality of decorative translucent plastic shapes detachably supported in a number of the remaining apertures, each shape having an enlarged end portion press-fitted into each corresponding aperture the rest of said apertures being open spaces, said translucent shapes being adapted to receive light from a single light bulb source within said lamp socket.

2. A decorative lamp as defined in claim 1 in which there is a heat shield means above the lamp bulb.

tions at their lower ends ending in a neck and simulating floating balloons, each of said necks having a string attached thereto, the lower end of each string being attached to one hand of a caricature figure mounted on said base. 

1. A decorative lamp comprising a base, a lamp socket on said base, a generally spherical plastic supporting member formed of two readily separable hemispherical sections one of which is supported from said base, each of said sections having a series of apertures around its periphery, one of said apertures having a depending neck portion for receiving the lamp socket to be supported thereby, and a plurality of decorative translucent plastic shapes detachably supported in a number of the remaining apertures, each shape having an enlarged end portion press-fitted into each corresponding aperture the rest of said apertures being open spaces, said translucent shapes being adapted to receive light from a single light bulb source within said lamp socket.
 2. A decorative lamp as defined in claim 1 in which there is a heat shield means above the lamp bulb.
 3. A decorative lamp as defined in claim 1 in which said apertures and shapes are symmetrically arranged in a dodecahedron pattern over the entire surface of said supporting member.
 4. A decorative lamp as defined in claim 1 in which at least the lower group of shapes have elongated portions at their lower ends ending in a neck and simulating floating balloons, each of said necks having a string attached thereto, the lower end of each string being attached to one hand of a caricature figure mounted on said base. 